Wrapping Up

With Theo warmed up, there was nothing left to do in the campaign but take everything apart and pack. There was a lot to disassemble, and even more to pack, but we had a large group of people who were all pretty motivated to finish.

There were still a couple long days, not to mention exhausting hours inside the sauna of a sea container in the Texas sun. But that was no match for lightening hearts, and the simple pleasure of well-packed boxes. We even managed to relax a little in the last few days.

Now, we’ve all gone our separate ways. But it won’t be long before we’re together again in Antarctica doing this all again—and more!

Sahsa begins unwiring

Ziggy too

John climbs the back to remove some tricky cables

Housekeeping cable bundles

Sahsa really likes these cables. And these bundles too

Cowboy Ed

He got a cowboy hat

He's lassoed himself one big cryostat

Cowgirl sasha

Preparing to lift Theo

Lifted Theo

Midair cryostat

Anne controls one of the chains

Aren't antiquated hoists great? So many extra jobs to take photos of people doing

At the stroke of midnight, the gondola transforms back into a collection of tubes

And a single mysterious slipper?

Becky helps prepare bolt holes

Each one was painstakingly retapped or repaired to save time and trouble in Antarctica

Jon: Cryo Detective

Looking inside Theo for clues about performance

Insulation removal

Everything from the bottom is removed to access the inserts

Cryo team action shot

Removal of shields

Ed preapres the top dome windows for shipping

Joseph removes his SIP. Allowing the rest of the gondola to come apart

Joseph (mostly hidden, as usual) takes the SIP away

I needed one last Joseph picture

Telescope inserts

Accessible again, and ready for removal

Anne tackles the top

Taking special care of delicate and irreplaceable filters

Sean also prepares bolt holes

And thinks science?

Insert stands

Standing. But with no inserts yet

Telescope dissassembly team

They open each tube, to make a few modifications before shipping

Anne heroically reorgnizes all the fasteners

Sunbeams and satellite dishes

Disclaimer: dishes don't necessarily point at satellites (especially the one pointed down)

So many telescopes

Too many?

Becky, almost finished with insert preparation

And enjoying it. Or maybe feigning amusement at my antics

Telescope tipping

Little known pasttime, with a few staunch adherents

Insert "coffin"

Special containers in which, I guess, they're buried alive. Because they'd better not be dead!